Pakistan faced elimination from the T20 World Cup 2026 despite a win in their final Super 8 clash against co-hosts Sri Lanka last night (February 28). The Men in Green were on level points with New Zealand, who advanced to the semifinal based on a superior net run rate.
Interestingly, just hours after Pakistan had been knocked out of the ICC event, retired spinner Usman Qadir reversed his decision. The 32-year-old confirmed the development of making a U-turn with a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Qadir wrote, “After a period of deep reflection and a successful stint in Australia, I have decided to officially withdraw my retirement from all formats of international cricket with immediate effect.”
The post also read, “I am fully committed to the grind and am making myself available for selection across all formats, starting from the basis, to serve Pakistan cricket to the best of my ability.
For the unversed, Usman Qadir had initially announced his retirement back in October 2024.
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Before Abrar Ahmed’s rise, Qadir used to be a regular in the Pakistan white-ball setup. He was primarily active in T20Is but eventually fell down the pecking order before hanging up his boots from international cricket. The wrist spinner then shifted base to Australia, where he continued playing competitive cricket at the domestic level.
Speaking about his numbers, in 25 T20I matches, Usman has taken 31 wickets at an impressive average of 7.95. He has also played a solitary ODI game in 2021 against the Proteas, where he claimed one scalp. His last T20I appearance was against Bangladesh in Asian Games 2023.
Interestingly, Usman Qadir is not a part of any of the franchises in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), having last featured in 2023 for Peshawar Zalmi. Now with Pakistan already having the likes of Abrar and Usman Tariq in the white-ball lineup, it remains to be seen how he paves his way back into the national team.
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